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Nairaland Forum / Entertainment / Literature / Daughter Of A Beggar [ Completed ] (1159 Views)
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Daughter Of A Beggar [ Completed ] by Dasdfgnb(m): 5:20am On Jan 28, 2017 |
The sun is going westward. The climate is calm. Peripatetic Hadiyat is with her family in the midst of the other families of itinerant Arab street beggars under the flyover in front of the National Stadium in Lagos. There are several yellow minibuses and some motorbikes used for public transportation at the bus stop with the drivers, conductors and the menacing touts disliked by everybody, except themselves and their employers. And they are there, because of the numerous commuters that cannot avoid coming to the bus stop, because it is a central place for public transport. There are so many commuters thronging the bus stop by the main gate of the stadium. Some of the commuters are sports enthusiasts who come to practice their respective sports at the stadium, white collar and blue-collar workers and traders. Many of the petty traders have found enough space under the flyover to sell their goods. These commuters are the targets of these Arab beggars and looking at their cheerful faces, they seem to be happy with the commuters who have been kind and generous to them. As one can see the beggars accosting the commuters at the bus stop, those inside the buses and those outside the buses and also going to accost the people in cars and other vehicles on the road as they slow down on getting to the bus stop or as the traffic wardens stop them at the junction of the stadium. They all make a colourful scene. Hadiyat is the most attractive of all the young teenage Arab daughters of the beggars and there are only few of them. And she is the oldest at 15 with the physical features of a nubile maiden. The touts are often teasing, taunting and harassing these attractive Arab girl-beggars and have become a public nuisance and menace to their parents and others. Their parents have always reported them to the local authorities. But, the touts have been threatening to expel the Arab beggars from the bus stop, because they are illegal immigrants who should have been deported long ago. This fact has made the Arab beggars to curry the favours of the touts and local authorities until they will leave for their own countries. Most of them are from the republics of Chad and Niger. Sule is one of the leaders of the gangs of touts at the bus stop and motor park under the flyover and he lusts after Hadiyat. He is always teasing and taunting her to tickle her fancy and her parents frown at his overtures toward their beloved daughter and they always scold her to beware of him and to avoid him like a plague. But, she has a natural affection for Sule, because he is such a funny gangling young man who seems fearless as she sees him cursing, swearing and threatening the bus drivers and conductors. And he is always giving her money everyday. He even tells her to save the money and he really tickles her fancy! Sule is smoking a cigarette and teasing Hadiyat in his mother tongue, the Yoruba language spoken by the Yorubas and millions of those in Lagos and the rest of the localities of Western Nigeria. Hadiyat giggles as she goes to accost some cars slowing down at the bus stop and Sule goes to confront the drivers and conductors of the buses stopping at the bus stop to extort illegal fees and levies from them. He is a public menace and nuisance tolerated by all the bus drivers and conductors for his rough and tough character. He is threatening an elderly bus driver he calls Baba Mushin. “Baba Mushin, where is your money? Wazo! Oya, answer me! Give me the money!” Sule barks at him in the Yoruba language. “I will give you when I come back. We have just got the bus released from the police station,” Baba Mushin says plaintively. “That’s a big lie! Give me the money or you will not carry any passenger here today. Wazo. Oya! Quick! Don’t waste my time,” Sule yells, contorting his face to frighten the elderly man who could be as old as his father. “Sule, please. I say I will pay the fee when I return from Mushin. I promise,” he pleads. “That’s rubbish!” Sule shouts curtly. Sule goes to stand in front of Baba Mushin’s bus and blocks his way with threats of dealing with him. Then, he tries to damage the wiper. Baba Mushin yells at him. The other fellow touts come to rally round Sule and on seeing the ruthless dispositions of Sule and his gang, Baba Mushin tells his bus conductor to give Sule the money. The sum of 50 Naira popularly called “Wazo” by the touts, “danfo” drivers and conductors in Lagos. “God has saved you today! If you did not pay, I would have destroyed your wiper and there is nothing you will do. Try any rubbish and we will report you to Chairman and that is the end for you in Surulere,” Sule says and snarls. Baba Mushin curses and hisses. “C’mon! Get out of the way and let me go! Vagabonds!” Sule and his gang give way and the elderly looking driver drives away. And Sule turns his attention to the next buses stopping at the bus stop. 1 Like |
Re: Daughter Of A Beggar [ Completed ] by iiru: 10:10am On Jan 28, 2017 |
hoping to enjoy this story. hope you will be consistent. |
Re: Daughter Of A Beggar [ Completed ] by Dasdfgnb(m): 10:57am On Jan 28, 2017 |
iiru:sure I'll |
Re: Daughter Of A Beggar [ Completed ] by Missmossy(f): 12:32pm On Jan 28, 2017 |
Keep it coming, following. |
Re: Daughter Of A Beggar [ Completed ] by Dasdfgnb(m): 1:00pm On Jan 28, 2017 |
The other gangs of touts are busy harassing the other bus drivers and conductors stopping at the bus stop. Once they collect the illegal fees or levies, they let the buses go and return to their corners at the bus stop or under the flyover. They spend some of their earnings on their addictions such as taking hard drugs, smoking cigarette or hemp, drinking alcoholic drinks and other beverages, patronizing the street girl-child prostitutes and other lusts of the flesh. Sule gives some of his earnings to Hadiyat and her family, jokingly telling them that he is paying the bride price of Hadiyat. Her parents will smile and pretend to appreciate his generosity, but they will sneer and curse him as he turns his attention away from them. “The infidel. Bastard!” Hadiyat’s father always curses him and the other Arab beggars also despise the touts, except their bosses who profess the same faith of Islam with them. Hadiyat comes to accost the buses dropping and picking up passengers at the bus stop and Sule sees the opportunity to display his gallantry to impress his fellow touts and others around. He goes to her and calls her “My beautiful white wife.” His buddies hail him. Others jeer and wave his claim off in dismissal, saying that the Arabs don’t give their beautiful daughters away to strangers and non-Arabs. Because, they’re racist in inclination and their Islamic religion forbids them to intermarry with “infidels”. But, Sule’s buddies say that Sule has no other intentions, except to sleep with Hadiyat for the thrill of it and boast about it. And they are sure that he will sooner or later do so. And those who agreed cross their fingers with those who disagreed in a bet. Sule says that he has not been giving her money for nothing. That he will reap wherever he sows. And at this point he playfully pats Hadiyat’s bottom. She frowns and slaps his offensive hand off. And she warns him not to do so again. But he laughs at her warning and begins to dance like a clown as he goes on with his work shamelessly. His buddies join him in the comical dance and mimic their favourite native Yoruba songs. Many onlookers find them amusing, but others sneer at them calling them names such as “No future ambition, alias NFA.” Later in the night, the bus stop is becoming calm, as the number of commuters has reduced with the bus drivers and conductors all leaving for their respective homes or elsewhere at the close of work. The traders are also packing up their goods and the beggars are retreating to their sleeping places nearby under the flyover or somewhere else they have chosen to pass the night. Hadiyat and her family live in a makeshift shack under the flyover. Sule often passes the night in any of the minibuses parked under the flyover left in his care by the owners or caretakers. Inside these buses, touts often sleep with their girlfriends or girl-child prostitutes and Sule has been planning to sleep with Hadiyat inside one of them anytime the opportunity comes his way. He has been inviting her, but she has not succumbed to his advances. 1 Like |
Re: Daughter Of A Beggar [ Completed ] by iiru: 1:28pm On Jan 28, 2017 |
i fear for hadiyat most especially Nd her family bcs touts are dangerous especially when the gangup and the guys hailing and cheering , but on the other hand these beggers can be very smart and cunning . i have had few encounters qith them. nice work |
Re: Daughter Of A Beggar [ Completed ] by empress101(f): 4:19pm On Jan 28, 2017 |
following |
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